Freddie Freeman hit a 3-run homer in the second inning last night, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 6-1 win over Miami in the third of a four-game series at Turner Field. Freeman's second inning shot came after the Braves staked starter Ervin Santana to a 1-0 lead with a run in the first inning. Santana picked up his ninth win of the season with seven and a third strong innings, allowing just six hits and the Marlins' only run which came in the third inning. The veteran righthander struck out ten Marlins.

Mike Minor was hammered again last night in Atlanta's 6-5 loss to the Marlins at Turner Field. The lefty allowed a run in the first inning, as he is prone to do, but Atlanta tied the game with a run in the bottom of the inning, but failed to take advantage of a potential big inning when Evan Gattis grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Three more runs in the third, and two in the fourth without retiring a batter, ended the night for the struggling Minor, who gave up ten hits and six runs in three official innings, raising his earner run average to a disappointing 5.32. Atlanta did rally for three runs in the eighth inning, but came up a run short. Ervin Santana gets the call tonight on the mound for the Braves.

The San Francisco Giants have signed Dan Uggla to a minor league contract, the club announced yesterday. According to the news release, Uggla will report to Triple-A Fresno after passing a physical. Uggla was released by the Atlanta Braves last Saturday. Atlanta still owes Uggla nearly $19 million. The 34-year old second baseman was hitting just .162 with just two home runs when he was released. He lost his starting job in late May to rookie Tommy LaStella, and hat batted just three times in July, striking out twice and walking once. He hit just .179 in 2013, but did manage 22 home runs.

Atlanta starter Julio Teheran gave up four hits and one run in seven innings last night, but lack of run support cost him a shot at his tenth win. With Atlanta leading Miami 1-0 on Justin Upton's second inning run, former Brave Jarrod Saltalamacchia touched Teheran for a game-tying home run. It stayed 1-1 until the tenth when Shea Simmons gave up a pair of runs on a Garrett Jones single with the bases loaded in Miami's s 3-1 win. Atlanta managed just six hits off five Miami pitchers, including two each by Justin Upton and Jason Heyward.

Alex Wood won his seventh game of the season and rookie second baseman Tommy LaStella provided some early offensive spark as the Braves came back from a disappointing Saturday loss to beat the Phillies yesterday at Turner Field to remain in a tie with Washington atop the NL East standings. LaStella drove in a pair of runs with a third inning with the first of his two hits. It was LaStella's sixth hit in seven opportunities with the bases loaded since he became the regular second baseman in late May. Chris Johnson added a home run and Justin Upton was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored before leaving the game after being hit by a pitch. Wood gave up three hits and one run in six innings of work.

The media circus called the All-Star game is over, and baseball gets back to business tonight with leaders in four of the six divisions separated by one and a half games or less. Atlanta opens a weekend series with the Phillies tonight with Ervin Santana facing A.J. Burnett in a match-up of veteran pitchers. Atlanta is in a virtual tie with Washington for the NL East lead (Washing leads by one percentage point). Milwaukee leads St. Louis by a game and Cincinnati by a game and a half in the NL Central, while the Dodgers are a game ahead of the Giants in the West. In the American League, there's a little breathing room in the East, where Baltimore leads Toronto by four games, and in the Central, where Detroit is up by six and a half games over Kansas City. In the West, Oakland leads Los Angeles by a game and a half.

Chris Johnson hit his third home run in two days, collecting three hits and three runs batted in yesterday in Atlanta's 10-7 win over the Cubs. Tommy LaStella also had three hits and three RBI. Julio Teheran wasn't at his best, allowing home runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but picked up his ninth win of the year as he heads to Tuesday's All-Star game. Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel will also make the trip.

The Atlanta Braves suspended former second baseman Dan Uggla for one game on Sunday. Uggla had batted just three times in the month of July, walking once and striking out twice as a pinch hitter. He has started just two of the previous 42 Atlanta games, since Tommy LaStella took over at second base, and has batted just 17 times since losing his starting job. He is hitless in ten official pinch hit appearances, with four strikeouts. Although the team game no official reason for the one-game suspension, he reportedly didn't show up for Saturday afternoon's game until one hour before game time. The Louisville, Kentucky native was drafted in the 11th round by the Diamondbacks in 2001, but had his best years with the Marlins.

Aaron Harang rescued the Atlanta Braves last night with an excellent pitching performance, and got just enough run support for a 3-1 win that snapped the Braves four game losing streak and prevented an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Mets. Atlanta scored all the runs Harang would need when Freddie Freeman's double highlighted a 2-run inning. Freeman, Andrelton Simmons and Ramiro Pena each had a pair of hits in support of Harang, who won his ninth game with seven innings of 4-hit ball. He allowed the Mets only run in the third inning. Craig Kimbrel picked up his 28th save, facing four batters in an inning and a third.

Ervin Santana was sharp for six innings last night, heading to the bottom of the seventh in a 1-1 tie. But the Mets put together a 3-run rally that handed the Braves righthander his sixth loss against seven wins. Again it was a lack of run support that led to the Braves fourth straight loss on the heels of a nine game winning streak. The Braves were oh-for-seven with runners in scoring position. Santana scored the Braves only run of game in the sixth inning when he scored from first base on a B.J. Upton double. Justin Upton and Tommy LaStella each had a pair of hits. The Mets Dillon Gee, in his first start since coming of the DL, gave up six hits one run in 7-plus innings.